Drat that pesky Balsam!

When it is announced that the Himalayan Balsam Threat has been averted for the year, we seasoned HM Hunters know to start taking pinches of salt. This is because inevitably, every time such an announcement is issued, another crop of the pernicious weed raises their pretty heads, proclaiming "you can't catch me!"

Well, we can and we do. Accordingly, on 15th August, under the determined leadership of the HM Hunter-in-Chief, David, six doughty volunteers arrived in response to the clarion call. We struggled through head-high reeds; we forded the Beck at great risk to the dryness of our socks; we risked nettle stings; we ate blackberries. And we prevailed! As we parted company an hour and a quarter later, we were convinced no more Balsam plants remained.

I took a walk in an area I only visit in my wellies, and found more of the wretched plants. I pulled them up, all alone and yet I too prevailed. In that spot, there are no more living Balsam plants. And yet I know that a few yards further on, there will be more, ready to re-start their invasion next year.

Bird sighting scramble!

When Tim calls you to say he has just seen a Turtle Dove near the entrance to the Common, you drop everything (in this case the washing up) and get there. Sadly, although I was there within 10 minutes of when he had seen it, I was not so lucky. He joined me after a few minutes, and we spent quite a while looking for it, but it had gone, or was hiding.

This was the second Tim had seen in the area in as many days; both had been on the ground eating grit,. which aids their digestion.

All was not in vain however: just as we were about to part, a Hobby flew across, low enough to be able to make out its moustachial stripe and its reddish thigh feathers. Better still, a few minutes later, as I was taking one last look, the Hobby came back, flying higher and faster, announced by the alarm calls of a swallow it obviously had in mind for supper. It was my first sighting of a Hobby this year, and my best so far. I only hope it doesn't eat that Turtle Dove!

Bridge at risk

Had a nice walk with Tim and our two dogs today. After a while and a good romp, it dawned on his adolescent labrador that my middle-aged retriever can be quite attractive: the charms of a mature blonde eventually making him quite amorous. We were mainly hoping to find crossbills, which have been seen a lot recently, but not today.

We had also been told a couple of days ago of a white admiral butterfly opposite the primary school, but it was not there today, or last Thursday when I looked. Right now, that area, particularly the bit of woodland that the Jubilee Boardwalk runs through, including Scouts' Pond, is my favourite part of the common. There seem to be more birds in that little patch than anywhere else at the moment, and many of them are this year's youngsters. Caught a glimpse of a tree creeper the other day, but it didn't hang around to have its picture taken.

What I find infuriating is the attitude of at least one person using the common, who seems determined to literally undermine our efforts to protect the bridge across the Beck. The banks underneath the bridge have been eroding, caused we think by human and dog feet. If the banks go, with nothing to hold it up so will the bridge, so we took steps to shore the banks up and put some barriers in place to try to prevent entry to the water in the bridge's immediate vicinity. There's no problem with people or their dogs getting in the stream a few yards either side of the bridge, but not right next to it. We also put notices up, explaining the situation. It appears that someone objects to this, and has removed the notices, and broken down one of the barriers, making the bank beside the bridge vulnerable again. It will be a shame if the only way to protect the bridge is to put in some form of concrete banking in such a natural and attractive spot, but sadly it may come to that. Here's what you can see from it, which I think makes it worth looking after.

Desperately seeking sedge warblers

Tipped off by Tim that a sedge warbler had turned up and was in full song, I took a look on Sunday morning, hoping to get a picture as they are much less skulking than reed warblers. I did get a few good views, but no pictures, so I went back this evening. There are now two males singing, and they seem to be competing amongst themselves and a reed warbler. When you hear the two species together there is no mistaking them, but they can be a bit tricky to identify in isolation.

Anyway, these two birds are going at it full tilt at the moment, and well worth a visit. With our other reedbed signature species the reed bunting also singing constantly, it's a great time to hear all three together. I like to think it's testament to the quality of the management of the reedbed that we've had such success this year. Anyway, I did manage to get a couple of fuzzy shots, one of which has caught the bird singing. Not great, but they'll do until I get a better one.

Although I didn't get any joy with the sedges on Sunday, I did find an obliging ringlet: I suspect it was dying, as it was nowhere near as active as they usually are, but it did at least mean I could get a good shot with its wings open.

On Saturday John Dowland and I attended the Natural Neighbours conference in King's Lynn, organised by the BTCV. It was an excellent event, interesting throughout, and we made some useful contacts. Along with several other organisations, we gave a short presentation about our patch, and the remarks afterwards indicated that a few more people had understood what a special little spot this is.

Common at its absolute best

With this beautiful summer weather the common is at its most lovely right now. If you can visit it in sunshine, the detour to Scouts' Pond is well worth it, if only for the dragonflies. Last week's Black Tailed Skimmer is still there, but there is another species too, busy laying eggs. I think it is a Common Hawker, but I've sent it in to iSpot for confirmation. (No response from iSpot this time, but James Emerson of Norwich has posted a comment that it is in fact a female Emperor, and taking another look at my identification guide I see what he means - many thanks James!)

It's all happening on the insect front: as well as the dragonflies, the common is loud with the singing of grasshoppers. Still lots of ringlet butterflies, which are still infuriatingly fluttery from the photography point of view. On School Common I did find a meadow brown, which was much more obliging:

Not much happening with birds today, although one reed warbler and the reed bunting were still singing. A family of long tailed tits was above me on School Common, and I got a few pictures, one of which is this:

I was also pleased to find a female bullfinch on the Jubilee boardwalk: with any luck they have bred. It's also nice to hear a Stock Dove in the vicinity.

Real summer

Had a very satisfactory walk across the boardwalk this morning. As had been forecast, it was already pretty warm (25 degrees according to my car thermometer), and I had hopes of getting some photographs of the butterflies. In the event, the best I could manage was this shot of a ringlet, briefly still amongst some buttercups. Of the 5-spot burnet moths, which I had been particularly hoping for, there was frustratingly no sign.

The stream was looking lovely with the sun streaming through the leaves, and I thought that was worth a snap too.

However, the best and least expected, were the comparatively excellent views I had of reed warblers. It is hard enough to see these birds at the best of times, so I was very lucky to have such clear views of one rather agitated bird waiting for me to get out of the way so it could feed its young, and a little later another, slightly clearer view. I got the impression that there must be fledged young somewhere near, as I could hear the alarm calls in several places. 

If you look carefully at the image above, you can see that there is a ring on the bird's right leg. How I would love to know where and when that was fitted!

And finally, calling in at Scouts' Pond on my way back, I managed a few shots of a dragonfly. I think it's an Emperor Dragonfly, but I'm awaiting confirmation of that from the ever-reliable network of experts who monitor the excellent iSpot website, where I've posted my observation.(By the evening the result was in, and it turns out that the dragonfly was a black tailed skimmer.)

Butterflies galore

The butterflies are beginning to come into their own now. Lots of large whites, a fresh crop of speckled woods, and large numbers of ringlets. Today I also saw my first 5 spot burnet moths of the season, on the grassy area near Warren Road.

Heard two ssinging reed warblers, and one reed bunting. Blackcaps and chiffchaffs are still singing, although there seem to be fewer of them at it than before. Sadly, the willow warbler has stopped: I hope this doesn't mean its breeding failed, but I fear it might.

I'm also beginning to fear I will see no lizards on the boardwalk this year. A few weeks ago they were very common at Strumpshaw Fen, but no sign here. There were very few last year too, but in previous years they had been quite common. I wonder if the two snowy winters have killed them off?